Local Initiatives Support Corporation/Chicago

Meeting the Health Needs of Children through the Creation of School-Based Health Centers:

Millennia helped to create 15 school-based health centers across Illinois. Most recently, we assisted LISC/Chicago in creating school-based health centers in five middles schools in Chicago as part of Elev8, a public-private partnership that includes the City, Chicago Public Schools, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Atlantic Philanthropies, the MacArthur Foundation, community-based health care providers and a range of other organizations. Elev8 sites implemented four common “pillars” of activity targeting middle school students, their families and communities: (1) extended-day learning and academic enrichment; (2) comprehensive, youth-friendly preventative and primary healthcare services; (3) family economic and social supports; and (4) parent and community engagement. Millennia worked closely with schools, community-based organizations, and community members to develop school-based health centers that reflected the needs and culture of each of the five school communities. Millennia continues to provide ongoing technical support to the project.

In addition, Millennia worked with several hospital systems to explore sustainability options for their school-based health centers. We led an assessment of sustainability options for two school-based health centers operated by Advocate Illinois Masonic that resulted in the creation of partnership between the hospital and Erie Family Health Centers, a federally qualified health center (FQHC). In Phase One of the project, Millennia provided hospital leadership with the critical information needed to make an informed decision about its future path to assure the sustainability of their school-based health centers. In Phase Two, Millennia helped leadership identify an FQHC partner, created a partnership agreement, and oversaw the accompanying transition activities.